History

[The Petty Papers is a newsletter that was published about various Petty families from 1976-1991. The following is taken from [1], a website maintained by Barbara McGee, the editor from 1982 on. The cited website also contains a genealogy database that reflects information from this newsletter with updates discovered since.]

"The Petty Papers were begun in July 1976 as an informational genealogical quarterly and edited by James Winter Petty, who is a professional researcher. Jim continued publishing until July, 1980 when he ceased because of demands of his family and work.

"Four editions were generally published using the Volumes and Number. For example, Volume 1 Number 1 was the published the first year in the first quarter. Vol 2 #2 was published the second year for the second quarter. During years 5 - 8, the Petty Papers were published bi-annually. There were twelve volumes, in all.

"I had worked with Jim on some of the previous publications. After two years on not being published, I took over the editorial duties of the Petty Papers in October 1982. Subscriptions were sold to cover the cost of the publication. Material was obtained from our own research and that of patrons of the publication.

"The last volume published was on March 1991. It took a great deal of time. I had a full time job teaching school and was raising four children (another full time job).

"Volumes 1 - 4 are indexed at the end of each year. Volumes 5 - 8 are indexed at the end of Volume 8. After that the Volumes are indexed yearly."

Usage Tips

There are a few excellent pieces within the issues of this newsletter that can make it valuable to a Petty researcher. Of particular note is an article in Vol. 1, No. 2, on Thomas Petty. However, such pieces are intermixed with user submissions that can be homey, unsourced, and sometimes contradictory.